Last Letters
by Misgiving Writer
Summary: They met once, many years ago. The sickly girl that the sniper loved, and the navigator for the crew the sniper was on. Yet now, in these dark days, it will be these two girls to speak last.


A/N: Look, another sad story! Are we surprised? I should hope not. Sad things are what I write best. Though, I do admit, this is possibly the saddest ending I've ever given our dear Usopp. I hope you all enjoy it! And I also hope to hear from all my readers!

* * *

Dearest Kaya,

It has been many years since we last met, but I hope that you still remember me. My name is Nami. I am the navigator for the Straw Hat crew. Maybe 'was' would be the better word. Might be? I don't know yet. I might resign this evening. Oh, and look at me. Barely even started this letter and I'm already rambling. I need to stop that. Nothing will be explained if I don't.

I'm sure that there are a lot of things that you want explained, the biggest being why I'm writing to you. We only spoke, what, once? Twice? Maybe even not at all, not personally. I know you though, every last thing about you. Usopp told me - he told all of us, actually. How kind you were to him. How much he cared for you. How he would wish, every morning, for you to wake up and just be better.

Sometimes, when there was a lot of snow, he would build sculptures. A lot of the time, they were of you. Most of his paintings, too, though there were a good bit of the crew in his notebooks too. I think that I should send them to you...You want them, right? I mean, no, that's what I mean. I guess it just shouldn't be a question. Of course you want them. Who wouldn't?

Franky says that he won't send you Usopp's inventions though. He wants to try and complete them or something. I just...I just don't think that Franky's ready to let go quite yet. If you really wanted them though, I could probably send those too. They would take longer. Usopp had a lot of stuff hidden away - a lot that none of us had known about. Like a new version of my climatac and some special sheaths of some sort. I think they were for Zolo. Aside from Brook, he's the only one that uses swords out here.

And, well, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. All this written and I still haven't really told you anything. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for a lot of things - for dragging this out, not doing a good job at explaining, for having to tell you this in the first place.

Usopp's dead, Kaya.

He died three days ago, here in our sick-bay. Chopper did all that he could to save him but, in the end, he'd just lost too much blood. There was a lot of internal damage, too, more than anyone could ever even hope of fixing. Just don't blame our doctor, it wasn't his fault.

It was mine.

That's why I'm the one writing you this, telling you that he's gone. Because it's my fault that he died. My fault - and I am so, so sorry! You have no idea how sorry I am, Kaya! Usopp was like a brother to me, just like all of my nakama are, and his death is my fault! The others told me they would write to you but I insisted that I do it...Maybe I should have let them.

Three days ago, we docked at a Winter Island by the name of Kabayushi. It wasn't supposed to have marines there. All of my notes said that. So I insisted that I went out and get the groceries on my own - just because I was sick of listening to the boys argue. Sanji insisted that Usopp come with me and I just let him...I should have made him stay behind. Let him finish whatever gadget he was working on and just relax...But I didn't. He came out to the town with me and we found out that, just the week before, marines had taken control of the island. When they attacked us, we were out-numbered. We couldn't get away.

God, Kaya, I was terrified. I haven't been cornered like that for a long time. I haven't been shot like that for a long time either. We were too far away from the Sunny for the others to hear us, the civilians were too afraid of the soldiers to help us. We weren't given a choice but to fight, even though there wasn't much chance of us not getting captured.

I honestly don't remember much of the battle. A lot of blood, a lot of pain, and a lot of gun-fire. At one point, Usopp and I were back to back. I remember that he said something to me. An apology, maybe? A good-bye? There was too much noise to hear him clearly. The next thing I knew, he'd spun around and slammed his kabuto into the back of my head.

I passed out. When I woke up, I was covered in some bizare mix of blood and ketchup and Robin was standing over me. She said that it looked like I had died - and that was the only reason that the marines didn't keep attacking me. Usopp...He'd kept fighting even after he knocked me out and blocked me from harms way. Took out almost half the squadron before they took him down. Chopper says that it was the bullet to his lung that did it. There just wasn't any way he could keep fighting after that.

Zolo thinks otherwise but no one listens to him. I don't want to listen to him, because that would mean that Usopp was still trying to fight even with all those injuries. I can't stand that thought so I just ignore him. He's not a doctor anyways.

And...I don't know what else to write. Apologizing won't bring him back, and I doubt you want to hear it. I do want to let you know that he was truly a great member of this crew. No matter who we fought, even when they were clearly stronger then he was, Usopp never let us go into battle without him. He always pulled through for us in the end. A great warrior of the sea, just like he wanted.

Know that, and know that he will always be remembered on our crew. No one can take his place.

I am so sorry,  
Nami

* * *

Miss Nami,

Don't apologize and don't blame yourself for his death. If you quit now, you'll be making his sacrifice worthless. He died so that you wouldn't. So that you would keep living and find your dream, too. Just like he found his.

Tell Franky that he can keep Usopp's inventions. They are of more use to you then they are me. I would like just one of his paintings though, so that I have a more recent work to keep on my wall. Your crew should have the rest. I can tell that they mean a lot to you. It would be cruel for me to take them away, not after you have all been through so much.

Usopp only sent me a few letters while he was away, but he always spoke highly of his crew in them. I was given stories of fish-men and flying islands, a skeleton musician and a reighndeer that was a doctor, saving kingdoms and bringing down tyrants. It always sounded to me as though Usopp was finally living out the stories he used to tell me - back when I was very ill and he was my only visitor. Though I wish that he were still alive and that we'd meet again one day, I'm glad that he died while on your crew.

I imagine that he smiled as he died.

Will you do me one favor though, Miss Nami? Will you promise me that, so long as you and your crew are still striving towards the future, you will always remember him? Take other snipers if need be, but never let what he has done for you be forgotten.

Sincerely,  
Kaya

* * *

Kaya,

I promise.

Nami


End file.
